International Business

Cryptocurrency

Bitcoins and the New World of Money

The going rate of bitcoins continues to rise, as of yesterday, one bitcoin was equal to nearly $ USD $6,531. Considering bitcoin is such a highly valued yet volatile form of currency, many people have questions as to how bitcoins were created and how they are used.

Bitcoin is a relatively new currency that was created in 2009 by an anonymous person (or group) using the alias Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoins are produced and traded in the virtual world. In a relatively short period of time, bitcoins went from being worth pennies to thousands of dollars. Unlike other forms of currency, which are controlled by a central authority of a particular country, bitcoins are completely virtual.

How to get bitcoins
Bitcoins are not acquired in the same way as other currencies. Bitcoins can be bought and sold in marketplaces called “bitcoin exchanges.” These online trading areas enable people to buy and sell bitcoins using various currencies, says CNN Money. Similarly, people can send bitcoins to one another using mobile apps or a computer, much like one would make digital transfers at a bank.

Bitcoins are not based on gold or another backing currency, but rather on mathematics. Instead of a federal reserve deciding on when to print and distribute money, bitcoins are created as a reward for mining. “Mining” involves a special open source software that is designed to solve math problems. As a reward for solving these problems, people are rewarded with bitcoins. This creates an incentive for people to mine.

Bitcoin mining is designed to require exertion and take time so that the rate resembles the rate at which commodities like gold would be mined from the ground, offers Bitcoinmining.com. According to ABC News, available bitcoins are hidden amid a complex encrypted computer program. Users’ computers work around the clock to solve a complicated mathematical problem in order to release new coins. The system requires more work to get coins as time goes by.

How are bitcoins stored
Bitcoins are stored in a digital bitcoin wallet. Only 21 million bitcoins can be found by miners so the value of the system is preserved. To date, not all bitcoins have been mined. Every bitcoin transaction is completely transparent, which means they can be traced back to creation. The “block chain” is a public ledger where every bitcoin transaction that has ever taken place is registered.

Anonymity
Even though bitcoin transactions are recorded publicly, the names of buyers and sellers are never revealed. Only a wallet ID is recorded. This enables bitcoin users to buy or sell anything without it being traced back to them. While many legitimate businesses now accept bitcoins, bitcoins also are highly valued for black market ventures like purchasing drugs and illegal weapons.

Bitcoins are changing the way people see money and store their private wealth. The concept decentralizes money and makes the bitcoin exchange a relatively transparent process. It will be fascinating to see where this all goes in a few years. During a recent trip to Zurich, we thought it very interesting to see Bitcoin ATMs – please see the picture below.

International Business

Business Tools

The Swiss Trust Company Business Model!

What is a Swiss Trust Company?
The general public typically relates the term “trust” with Asset Protection Trusts, Foreign Situs Trusts, Irrevocable
Trusts or Real Estate Investment Trusts. A Private Trust Company (PTC) such as a Swiss Trust Company (STCs), however, is an entirely different type of institution. SPTCs serve as business expansion tools offering financial services to their beneficial
owners and clients.

A Swiss Trust Company is a Non-Banking Financial business model that will operate for you as a holding entity and a flagship structure adding prestige and operational authority to any venture. A Swiss Trust Company perpetuates the legacy and tradition of the Swiss financial industry and transitions smartly into any business undertaking that you may embark on.

Why should you consider acquiring a Swiss Trust Company?
A Private Trust Company is specifically organized around the purpose of performing broad and discretionary fiduciary, administrative and financial services for its owners. Swiss Trust Companies are unique. While there are many financial models to choose from an STC is a distinctive structure. STCs allow each owner or shareholder to implement an exact model according to personal preferences and strategies.

PROFIT: You will be acquiring ownership of a “Non-Banking Financial Entity” in a major economic center with unlimited profit potential. It is a perfect alternative to owning a Captive Bank in that it will save you time and money.

ASSET PROTECTION: As a new owner, you will obtain a vehicle to provide a safe haven for your personal & corporate wealth.

PRIVACY: The ability to lower your financial profile and protect yourself from identity theft is another key benefit and critical to anyone involved in international commerce.

GAIN CONTROL: Avoid cumbersome red-tape in as well as bring critical functions in-house, which will improve efficiency which plus save you time and money.

EXIT STRATEGY: Roll your existing business interests into a Swiss Trust Company and then list on a foreign stock exchange creating a faster and less expensive exist strategy than what be found elsewhere.

International Business

Business Psychology

Online Mental Health

If you cannot afford a visit to a traditional therapist, the Talkspace App might be an interesting alternative for you. For just $25 per week, you can text message a trained professional as often as you need

Lifestyle

Executive Fitness

CBD Oil and the Potential Benefits

CBD oil is usually extracted from industrial hemp does not produce a euphoric “high” or psychoactive effect. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it can be used to help manage chronic pain in many cases. CBD oil is especially promising due to its lack of intoxicating effects and a possible lower potential for side effects than many other pain medications. Thomas DeLauer is one of our favorite online fitness source above we offer this video of his insights.

Lifestyle

Spirits & Cuisine

Wines to Pair with Your Favorite Foods!

Pairing wines with your favorite foods can be intimidating. Professional and amateur sommeliers might know just the bottle to pair with that sizzling steak, but weekend warriors might not be so confident. The Food Network offers the following pairing tips to people looking for the right bottle to go with some popular foods.

· Steak: Cabernet Sauvignon is a red wine that’s high in tannins. Novice wine drinkers might wonder why certain wines dye their mouth after drinking, and that’s because of tannins. Steak softens the impact of tannins because of its fat content, making this an ideal pairing.

· Spaghetti and meatballs: Italian food and wine go hand-in-hand, and Chianti is a great wine to pair with spaghetti and meatballs. Chianti has a bold flavor, and the Food Network notes it has enough acidity to stand up to all the tomatoes and meat in spaghetti and meatballs.

· Indian cuisine: Fans of Indian cuisine no doubt like spicy foods, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t also enjoy some temporary relief from their fiery favorites. Rieslings, which tend to be low in alcohol content, are sweet white wines that can be just the thing to complement all that spiciness. The Food Network notes that high-alcohol wines might make spicy Indian food feel even spicier, so if Riesling isn’t your ideal wine, at least opt for another wine with a low ABV.

· Salmon: Seafood fans who love salmon might like it even more if they pair it with Pinot Noir. While many types of fish are best paired with white wine and Pinot Noir is a red, this pairing actually works well because the salmon stands up to the wine’s bold flavor.

· Lamb: Red meat and red wine go great together, but different types of red meat pair better with different types of wine. Lamb and Bordeaux go great together because lamb has a gamey flavor that requires a rich, bold wine. Bordeaux fits that bill, allowing the rich, fatty lamb meat to absorb its tannins.

Lifestyle

Living & Traveling Offshore

The Trusted Travel Program

We recent had the opportunity to use this program to go through US customs and it was a great time saver. For under $100, you can get approved to use a kiosk to check in. We suggest going for it for your international travels.

Business Services

Learning Center

* STRUCTURE: Working on your behalf as an International Business Advisory we target acquisitions and corporate structures which will reduce regulatory red-tape, lower costs, raise capital or open new avenues to profit.

* INFORM: Geared to our entrepreneurial readership, our weekly newsletter and blog is uniquely educational and entertaining. We also have published two books which are available online.

* INSPIRE: We have always been and remain to this day a stanch believer in free markets and the entrepreneurial spirit. To that end, we frequently publish or share information which is intended to either inspire or enlighten.